New Girls in Town
by Kung Fu Coffee
Summary: There are six new girls in Corus, and they're ready to do some page training. When one of them becomes possessed, they're forced to leave Corus for the Dragon Rider's Academy of the Blue Mountains. Three years later, the squires of Corus come to a refugee camp in Yathrib for training. What King Jonathan didn't keep in mind was the girls who came to Corus so long ago. K/J
1. Chapter 1

Hey, everybody! Here's my second fanfic, and I really hope that you like it. I'd like to thank (these aren't their real names) in real life:

Mei Katani

Itakira Katani

And the rest of the SPS gang! _**I don't own anything, Tamora Pierce owns what you recognize**_, and the kids at SPS own the rest. I only own Iyani- I added her. The **bold** print is when we're with the student's at the Dragon Rider's Academy of the Blue Mountains, and _italics_ are with the palace, at Corus. Enjoy!

"**Attention, students! "Vice-principal Dren screamed. "Attention! Will the following students please report to my office with all of their possessions packed in human luggage-bags! These students are:**

**Mei Sparksword**

**Ari Fireflame**

**Serie Kamayara**

**Black Cougar and lastly**

**Iyani Crystal-Blue! Thank you!"**

** In the great crowd of students, the before named students were obviously worried- at least some of them. "Oh no! What if we're getting expelled for pulling that prank on the professor's common rooms?" Serie said worriedly. "No way! We've probably been picked to go on some strange field trip! Remember the second-years last year? They got called on, and got sent to a school in Human England, a school called "Hogwarts". We're probably… oh, wait!" Mei assured her year-mates**

"**What, and that's good?" exploded Iyani, "Getting shipped off to a Human-Habitat is not how I want to spend even one minute of my life!"**

"**I agree with Iyani. Humans STINK! "Black Cougar yelped.**

"**C'mon, guys! Our stuff isn't just gonna pack itself!" Ari told them gently. "Let's go."**

**The five girls trudged off to the majestic looking dorms that were tucked into a range of beautiful, blue mountains.**

_Corus:_

"_Attention, pages and squires! May I please request your attention? As some of you may already know, we are accepting a female probationary page. Treat Page Keladry with respect" Lord Wyldon of Cavall announced. Some of the older pages smirked. "We are also accepting five females from the Dragon Riders Academy of the Blue Mountains. They fight and perform their own branch of Dragon Styles, and take several classes that we ordinarily do not. To maintain- Page Nealan, are you listening?" Lord Wyldon's eyes flashed dangerously._

"_Yes, milord. I am listening with rapt attention" Nealan replied pertly. _

"_Good. As I was saying, we are teaching these five young ladies our way of fighting in exchange for a few lessons of our own from their knowledge. Considering that their knowledge of the Immortals is much greater than ours, this will help us quite a lot. Please welcome them with gracious manners. Thank you. You are dismissed" Lord Wyldon told the gathered pages and squires._

"**I can't believe that we're being shipped off to Corus!" Iyani burst out.**

"**Iyani, this will be a great experience. Plus, think of the boys!" Mei exclaimed. The Five Females- as the boys had taken to calling them- were on a Transporting Hiatus to who-knows-where. There, they would be riding enlarged dracons. **

"**Hey, guys, I've got an idea on how to STUN those dudes…" Black Cougar said quietly, with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "So…"**

**The FF huddled up. Sounds like" Yeah!" and "That's perfect" and "When will we STUDY?" and "Can I wear my Wanga boots" emitted from the tight circle.**

_Corus:_

"_Lord Wyldon, the DRA students are here." Stefan, a bandy legged hostler told the Lord._

"_Very good. Have them stably their mounts." He told Stefan._

"_Err, milord, you may want to come outside for this, as that will be rather hard…'_

"_WHAT?" Lord Wyldon's loud voice echoed through the halls." Dren…"_

IN CORUS-NO POV

The five girls stood there, each had a miniature dragon on their arms.

The pages had followed Lord Wyldon to the stables. One girl, who had blue streaks in her hair, and blue-leather thigh-high, leather laced boots, saw the boys and began to giggle,. The rest of the girls looked up. Two of them blushed, and the others batted their eyelashes.

The five of them looked at each other, and in chorus uttered on single word in some foreign language, not Carthaki, or Scanran, of Kypriosh, or Galla, or Tasmanian, and definitely not Tortallan. It was Draconic, language of the majestic Dragons: "Hagarmeen"

One of the boys, a new one named Merric of Hollyrose, gulped. He had seen, as the blue-streaked one had raised her arm, a dagger inside her boot. He peered around her, and spotted three more in that boot. She grinned wickedly at him and winked. He gulped again.

"Girls, I will lead you to your rooms to freshen up. You will have an hour. The last thirty minutes will be dedicated to finding a sponsor. This way, please." Lord Wyldon told them. "While you are here, I'd like you to remember that this school is filled with boys. I will not take any flirtations. Please abide by your rules, as well as mine. Your class schedules will be in your room. It will just be one large sleeping room, and one smaller common room, for studying and practicing your… Dragon Magic."

"Please, sir. Only three of us have Magic-Skills. Serie, Mei and I." Iyani told him.

"Very well. Be ready in thirty minutes, the boys shall pick up from there. Here are your rooms." He opened a brown door to f=reveal a plain room with ten chairs and a large table. He shoved the girls in, and slammed the door. The FF could vaguely hear him muttering things about "stupid dragons "and "what the hell is potions" and "we have an adequate combat class". The girls just rolled their eyes.

Back in the stables, the boys looked at each other with evil glints in their eyes. "Wow! Did you see them? They're real beauties." One boy, Seaver, said. "Did you see that one girl, with that snarly stick in her hand (A/N: Stick, as in stick that comes off of a tree, just to clear up any inappropriate confusion)? Boy, she's cute!

"Hey, guys, how 'bout we go spy on them? I know where their rooms are…" Cleon of Kennan said.

"Yeah! " all of the guys shouted excitedly, and followed Cleon. They pressed their ears against the door. Odd screams emitted from the "dorm".

"Ick! Get this Human binket off of me! (AN: really blanket, but they aren't used to human words)" "Blanket, stupid! Blanket!"

"Hey, let go og my poster! Luzli the Great signed it and I don't want it ripped!"

"Girls! I'm trying to lace up my Wanga boots, stop being so im- oh, this is the last straw!" Joren looked through the keyhole. The room was in pandemonium. Four of the girls were doing some hand-to hand combat while eating sandwiches, as well as playfully stealing each others stuff. The other girl, with the blue hair streaks, was obviously trying to throw daggers. THUNK. THUNK. THUNK. Joren jumped back, and the girl flung the door open. "Black Cougar! There are boys out there…"

"Yeah, I know, and they've been spying on us, Mei!" Black Cougar snapped. "Boys, inside, now, explain yourselves."

Joren stared at her, then the door." Well, DRAGON WARRIOR, was that you who threw the daggers?" The daggers had impaled the door, and perfectly framed the keyhole where Joren's eye had peered in.

"No, that was me," The blue haired girl snapped.

"Prove it, Black Cougar." Joren fired back, ignoring Iyani. "Snap!" the boys cried. The other girls' lips curled up slightly, knowing Black Cougar's temper.

Black Cougar's eyes turned from their regular black to a burning orange. They crackled. The boys could feel the tension on the air. Black Cougar reached up to her hair pin.

"Oh, Black Cougar, gonna fix your hair? Typical girl." Joren turned around to the boys, hand raised in expectance of high-fives. However, the boys just gulped.

"Well, well, well," one boy drawled. "Little miss fiery, about to pull off a keyhole on Joren" The boy smirked, and Joren blinked, and turned around. The blue streaked girl had apparently stood up, and stepped in front of Black Cougar.

"You will not just go pick a fight with people just because they've upset you," she said in a dangerous voice.

"Well, will you look at that? Blue-hair has become a roaring fire." Joren winked at her, but she stared back with utter loathing.

"My name is Iyani, and if you were smart, you wouldn't be telling me that I'm fire, especially since I am obviously AT ONE WITH WATER, YOU DOLT!" She shrieked,

"Pay attention, pretty boy!" The girl called Mei said. "I don't suppose that you realize who we are, or how much respect we deserve. We have been through many battles, and are not afraid to use our fighting abilities. I warn you, we have our own folk tales, and if you know what's good for you, you should probably brush up on it. Watch who you offend. "She snapped. Then she turned to the other boys," I believe that we have another five minutes to freshen up?" She quipped politely.

"Err… look, sorry about that whole fiasco with Joren. Nobody likes him." A tall red head said. "I'm Cleon, of Kennan." After this introduction, the five girls stepped forward.

"Mei Sparksword, top fencer at DRA, pleased to meet you, Cleon," Mei seemed to be the leader of the group.

"Ari Fireflame. I like anteaters and hand-to hand combat, and I'm excelling at Stickology." Ari announced. Judging by the girls reactions, they were quite used to these unusual announcements.

"Serie Kaimayara, best hunter, captain of the hunting team." Serie was probably one of the prettiest, but she detested humans- due to her prior background as a wolf. Wolfs of her clan HATED humans, so it influenced her a lot.

"I'm Black Cougar, and if anybody wants to try and tease anyone of this group, you will be thrown into next month- by me. I'm the best fighter in this group- besides fencing, gloves, and throwing daggers. Good luck in combat, that's all I'm gonna say… FOR NOW." It was obvious that Black Cougar hated boys- of any kind, and she wasn't afraid to show it. Then, the girl with the blue streaks in her hair stepped up.

"Iyani Crystal-Blue, Wanga Captain, and best knife-thrower in all of the Blue Mountains. " Her black eyes flashed blue for a second, and then turned black again. "I'm sure that you've learned not to mess with us- we each have our own talents. Anyway, I think that our five minutes are up." She said the last sentence very cheerfully.

"Yeah, let's go to the library, where we can sort out the sponsors," said a tall boy who looked to be at least fourteen, and had sparkling green eyes. Once they got to the library, however, they met a bit of trouble. Joren of Stone Mountain was standing in the area that was cleared for mage-practice. He was flanked by Vinson of Genlith and Garvey. (A/N I can't remember his fiefdom)

"Well, well, well. Looks like you're here to have a rematch fight. Pity you don't have weapons!" Joren sneered. Everybody froze, but then, suddenly…

A/N: A semi/cliffie! Hahahaha! Anyway, this was much longer than my other fanfic, and was more interesting. How'd ya like it? Review, please

"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, everyone, sorry about that looooong wait, but first, I had to meet up with some friends, then I was reading the Harry Potter books –big mistake, as I then had writers block, but only for the Protector of the Small series. So then I was writing a fanfic for the Marauders era. And then I was super sick, and practicly barfed. And THEN I almost swallowed glass. I know, excuses, excuses! Sorry! Special thanks to MageNellofGalla and Master Ninja cat! Songs: Oath by Cher Lloyd and One More Night by Maroon 5  
**

"You girls are nothing better than lowly commoner scum!" Joren spat out.

"Is there something wrong with commoners?"A voice from the doorway sounded. "As far as I know, they are people, humans, as well. And if these people are who I think they are, you should have shut your trap five minutes ago," The person speaking was the Girl; the Probationary page, the girl that Lord Wyldon was obviously disgusted with.

"We can fight our own-" Black Cougar started angrily, but Serie slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Sorry. Thanks for that. We all appreciate it. **Right, Black Cougar?"** Serie said in a low voice. Black Cougar glared at her for a moment, then licked Serie's hand. "EEEEW!" Serie cried. The other girls just cracked up laughing.

"Joren, as I'm sure that you don't want to take the time to sponsor anyone, you may go," Nealen said

"Actually, I would like to sponsor Milady here," Joren gestured at the new girl, Keladry.

"_you_ would like to sponsor…" Cleon said disbelivingly

"Keladry. Keladry of Mindelan," The girl said. She didn't seem to show any emotions, be it embaressment, humiliation, or anger.

"Look at her. She just sits there, like a lump," someone said.

"Anyway, Joren, I don't really think that you should sponsor Keladry," Cleon informed Joren.

"And why should I not?" Joren inquired.

"Er… your studies arren't in the best shape… and we all know that you don't like the girl, you would do something bad to her," Cleon replied, glancing at Keladry. "Neal, can you sponsor her? I know you have only been with us for a little bit, but you know the court better thatn anyone,"

"Sure, it's my pleasure," Nealan smiled at Keladry. "I'm Nealan of Queenscove,but-"

"Thank you," Keladry told him.

"Okay, all the other first-year pages, please step over here, by the books on Gallan Farming," Cleon announced in a loud voice. "All Dragon Riders Academy people included!"

Everyone followed his directions.

"Name?"

"Mei Sparksword," Mei told him.

"Cleon? I'll sponsor her," Kaelin of Warmlife told him. Mei went to stand next to him.

"Next! " Cleon barked. Iyani gulped, and stepped forward


	3. Chapter 3: Sponsors and Joren

Last time… Iyani took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Name?" Cleon asked.

"Iyani of Bronze Yathigna," Iyani replied.

"I'll sponsor her," a voice from the back called. Everyone parted to let a tall, brown skinned Bazhir through. "Zarwan ibn Saleh. Pleased to meet you," Zarwan smiled at her. As Zarwan and YAni walked to the back of the pack, Iyani was elbowed by another Bazhir named Zahir.

"Go back to Yathigna, bitch," he hissed at her. She blinked, and walked on.

"Black Cougar,"

"How about Otker of Greywolf?" Cleon wondered. Otker nodded, and showed Black Cougar to the back with Zarwan.

"Ari Fireflame,"

"Oh! Her star-aura is glowing! Cleon, I will sponsor her!" A short, chubby boy with dreamy eyes cried. Ari walked up to him, and waved. The boy, Amaury of Acridogre, waved back cheerfully. Iyani chuckled.

"Serie Kamaiyara,"

"I shall sponsor her," Leofwin of Hastemoon said in a soft voice. Serie nodded at him. Once all of the other first year pages were matched up with sponsors, they marched down tpo the mess hall. There, the DRA pages gravitated towards each other. It seemed like their sponsors were all good friends, as well.

"So tell me," Amaury began. "Is there good star-telling in the Blue Mountains?"

"Oh, yes!" Iyani cried. "The views are amazing. You can even see the twelfth house, always!" Amaury and Iyani began talking about Astrology and Planetary Divination, while the rest of the group looked on in amusement.

"Is she always this talkative?" Zarwan asked politely. The girls burst out laughing.

"Oh no," Mei replied. "Only about Time Magic and Wanga does she chatter like this!"

"And what is Time Magic?" Leofwin asked shyly.

"It's her Zi-um… her Gift," Serie mumbled.

(A/N: Okay, this knowledge is for the readers only! Don't tell Zarwan, or those guys! Iyani is the second known Zire in all of history. Her Zire-magic is Time Magic. She, as well as the other girls, is all Pentoelementals. They can control Earth, fire, water, light&dark, wind. Each of them is good at a specific thing- BC, fire; Ari, wind; Mei, Light Yani, earth; Serie, water. Shhhhh! )

"What Serie means is that it's her Gift. She's also… err… a Pentoelementals. We all are." Mei told them. The boys began gushing loudly, until Black Cougar shushed them.

"So, what do you do for kicks around here?" Yani asked- her and Amaury had rejoined the conversation.

"There really isn't anything," Otker replied. Suddenly, his eyes and face visibly darkened.

"What?" Mei asked anxiously. Otker gulped.

"Well, well, well." A voice drawled behind them. "What do we have here?"

"Go away, Joren," Zarwan snapped.

"No. I don't believe I shall," Joren replied, slipping down on the bench next to Mei and Black Cougar. As he turned to Mei, Black Cougar's eyes began crackling.

"_Yeow! _What in Mithros' name was tha…" Black Cougar chuckled as Lord Wyldon glared furiously at Joren.

"I think you should leave, Stone Mountain," Otker murmered. The pages at their table nodded their agreement.

"All right!" Wyldon crowed loudly. "Everyone to bed!"

_**And so I begin to set up the outline. The girls have made friends… and Kel, I promise, will be in the nex chapter. I already know (And have acted out) the storyline. Never fear, gallant soldiers! Onward with thy noble reading of the literary fanfiction! –KFC (Like my exaggeration?) **_


	4. Ch4: Now and Then 3yrs

**A/N Hey, people! I'm writing even more! So, this chapter jumps from current to three years from now. Kel, Neal, and those guys will be first-year squires, and Joren and so on will be fourth year squires. Hee hee! Sorry if this a bit fast. Life never moves fast… So fanfiction should.**

Songs:

Haunted by Taylor Swift

Last time:

"Terror will reign in the Blue Mountains," Iyani told everyone. "Sa-sa-Fou will do anything to gain power…"

"Help," a gasp came from the floor. Black Cougar was lying on the floor, clutching her throat. "Need… to… remember… unity… valiance," Black Cougar shuddered with an air of finality, and collapsed. A minute later, she glided back up, and looked around the circle of stunned pages.

"So young," she chuckled. "Pity. It won't last." The last sentence seemed to be directed right at Iyani. Her breath left her as Black Cougar grabbed her, Ari, Serie, and Mei, disappearing on the spot.

**2 weeks later**

"Attention, pages!" Lord Wyldon stood up in the hall. "Two weeks ago, one of the daughters of the Dragon Mages was possessed by Sa-Sa-Fou. The cross-relation did not go as planned. Do not worry!" He reaised his voice above the masculine murmurs. "None of you are to blame! The Blue Mountain clan has stressed that we still maintain peace with them."

3 years later (POTS)

"Squires!" King Jon yelled at the mass of squires who had been recently separated from their knight-masters. "You are going to be sent to the Blue Mountains. Three years ago, an operation to maintain peace failed. We are hoping to regain trust. Your masters will be sent to the Academy, and you will be going to a refugee camp in the city of Yathrib. Some of the students who came here will be in charge there. Happy traveling!"

Zarwan, Kaelin, Amaury, Otkir, and Leofwin all traded excited looks.

"Hey, Zarwan!" Neal called from across the hall. "What do ya thinks going to happen?"

"Chaos," drawled an icy voice. "But who knows. Maybe there will be good," Joren chuckled, and strolled past him, an obvious smirk on his face.

"Bug off, Joren! No one wants you here!" Kel muttered. Everyone laughed as Joren stalked away.

"So, does anyone know how we're going to be getting there?" Amaury asked curiously.

"I think that any minute, we're going to be transported there," Neal explained.

"Ah. So clear now," Leofwin grinned. He had found his voice, and was blossoming into a sarcastic, witty boy.

3 years later (DRA)

"I'm tired, Mei!" Serie complained.

"Yeah, Mei! I don't want to do this!" Black Cougar added.

"Too bad. Mistress Elaine needs these supplies." Mei replied. The three of them were carrying large packages to the small camp on the outskirts of Yathrib. There, the squires of Corus would arrive.

"Ha! There's the camp! Hurry!" Mei said.

"Mei! Serie! Black Cougar!" Serie cried . A large, bronze dragon swooped down and picked up their loads. The three girls rushed to the campsite.

"Three raids! Three!" their friend, Yani, ranted. "Now, tell me, what is the point of raiding the houses of commonfolk?" She sighed dejectedly, and ran a hand through her hair, and slumped down on the floor. "And, on top of that, Master Haikanopo is sick with a rotten lung!" Master Haikanopo was supposed to be the 'mediator' for the Corus-Yathrib introductions… Oh well.

"They're here! They're here!" A short, chubby boy of five yelled.

"Thanks, Rowen," the five girls chorused. They all heard the door fly open with a bang.

"What is this place, a slum?" A loud, obnoxious voice came in.

(A/N Well, that's it for now! Bet you can guess who said that last sentence!)


	5. Ch 5: A Potion for Amaury

A/N I'm so sorry that I haven't been updating! As NinjaCat can verify, I have been away in Costa Mesa, Orange County (LA) for 10 days, and we didn't bring along this computer, which is the one I use to post this FF. So, ON WITH THE STORY! And also, to my avid readers, please comment, NOT PM, and please follow this story. I have 1 favorite and 1 follow. Once I get 2 favs and 2 follows, I will post the next chapter. I must also get 5 reviews.

_Last time:_

"_What is this place, a slum?" A loud, obnoxious voice came in._

"No, it's just a refugee camp," Mei snapped.

"Does it look like I care?" Joren of Stone Mountain sneered.

"Joren! Move aside!" Zarwan yelled in Joren's ear. "Amaury's still hurt, and Neal can't heal him!" Zarwan, who was carrying Amaury in his arms, turned to Mei. "Where is the Infirmary?" Mei beckoned to him. Kel's and Zarwan's gangs both followed.

"Take close care." Mei said loudly. "Any wrong turn and you could end up in the wrong place, like, say, the practice courts."

Murmurs erupted from the group. Mei halted in front of a door with a silvery mist hanging around it.

"Yeouch!" Neal shrieked. "That's powerful magic!" Mei rolled her eyes.

"It's the magic of the Zire. Yani is the second known Zire." Mei pushed open the door. Smells of herbs and humidity washed over the squires.

'What is it, Mei?" A calm, soothing voice came.

"Zarwan?" Mei gestured him forward.

"IS today the day they come, Mei? Why didn't you tell me?" Iyani shrieked.

"I DID! Seventeen times, to be exact!" Mei sighed, exasperated.

"Oh."

Zarwan laid Amaury on a cot. "Iyani! Amaury was attacked by some kind of… squid… with darts.

"Ah. The Squid of Canfilan. Rumored to be walking the Blue Mountains and preying on teenagers." Iyani bent over Amaury. "Right! Everybody out! Zarwan, if you'd like, you can stay. Same goes for you, Mei." Mei nodded, and pulled up a chair. Zarwan watched openmouthed as Yani began pulling a cauldron and various herbs out of a cupboard. "Zarwan, be a dear and fill this cauldron half full with water." Shaking his head, Zarwan picked up the cauldron and pumped water into it. Once half full, he placed it in front of Yani.

"Thanks." Yani smiled. Muttering under her breath, she began listing things. "Let's see, Essence of Asterxia," she waved her hand, and a blue bottle flew to the table in front of her. Each time she said something, it rested on the table, ready for her to use. She began preparing the solution.

First, she dumped a sachet of wormwood into a pestle, and ground it up into a fine dust. Then she added a few drops of Canfilian Oil to the dust, and swirled it around until it formed something resembling dough. This she dropped into the cauldron, which she had set atop a fire. As soon as the cauldron was boiling, she measured two spoons of Essence of Asterxia to it, waved her hand over the cauldron, and dropped in two sprigs of an unknown herb. She took out a tub of some kind of dried herb mixture, and, grabbing a small cup, measured three cupfulls into the cauldron. She waved her hand again, and the potion instantly boiled down into a thick, bright red paste.

Then, she took half of the paste and put into a clear glass vial. She then rolled up her sleeves, pushed Amaury over to that his dart-filled back was facing her. She made an odd gesture at his back, and the darts disappeared, leaving large welts with a blue poison oozing from it. She drew a rune in the air, and the poison disappeared, and she poured the freshly prepared potion on Amaury's back.

"Now we wait," Yani turned to Mei and Zarwan cheerfully. "Not bad. Thirty minutes." Zarwan gulped. "What? Never seen potion brewing?"

"Nope," Zarwan replied. "Well, I've heard tales of witches brewing potions, but…" Yani laughed.

"Oh, that's Tortall for you! Always so superstitious! But even Carthak is open to new ideas, now that Kaddar is on the throne!" Mei chuckled.

"Yani, you might be offending Zarwan!" She chastised, grinning none the less.

"Oh, did I? Sorry!" Yani exclaimed. Zarwan shook his head.

"No, you didn't. No worries!"

"Good. Let's go get dinner," Yani smiled. "The potion will magically come off when it's done, but Amaury needs his rest. He'll stay here for the night," With that, Mei, Zarwan, and Yani headed off to dinner.

**So, how did you like that? Wasn't much Ari, BC, or Serie, but I wanted to have a scene with Yani's potions. I'm so egotistic! LOL. Luv, KFC**


	6. Ch 6- Market Day (Yani)

**A/N So here is the next installment of New Girls! I wrote this chapter in honor of my deasesced uncle, Mark Richardson. May he rest in peace with the knowledge that he inspired me to be the best artist in music and writing as I can be. I love you, Uncle Mark. **

Chapter 6: Market Day- Yani

Dinner was fantastic- the food was great, the squires met a lot of really neat people, and Joren and his cronies didn't do anything. That was because a buff refugee-Ethan-had boxed Vinson's ears when Vinson had cut Ethan in line to get food.

"That was great!" Neal crowed. Everyone chuckled.

"Yeah, well, that's Ethan for you." Ari said.

"So, what are we doing tomorrow?" Otker asked eagerly.

"We'll be going to the marketplace of Yathrib. You're in luck!" Yani said excitedly.

"They have the best gauntlets _ever" _Black Cougar gushed happily at the prospect of gauntlets.

"So, how are we expected to buy things?" Merric asked.

"Well, you trade, of course!" Serie said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What do you trade?" Seaver asked.

"Well, I trade small weapons, sometimes a sword or two- I make them at the school," Black Cougar began. "Yani has her own stall, though, where she sells things. We take advantage of that sometimes," She grinned wolfishly.

"Yeah, they do, and it gets very annoying! I make potions, and sell them. Mei sells scrolls, with spells on them. Serie trades game that she hunts, and Ari… well… she trades Fluffer Trees." Yani informed the squires, who were staring, openmouthed. Even Vinson and Garvey were trying to listen to both their conversation and Joren's rants about how awful the service here was yadda yadda yadda.

"And what exactly are these, ah, Fluffer Trees?" Kel asked, hazel eyes twinkling.

"They're these cute little shrubs that create wool," Ari said excitedly. "They're like sheep, but in plant shape! And you don't have to make any sheepies cold from skinning them!"

"_Sheepies?"_ Merric looked incredulously at Ari.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Um, n-no reason!"

"Good. Bye-bye, bed time!" With that Ari skipped off. Merric turned to the rest of them.

"_Sheepies_?"

"Hey, don't look at me!" Mei said defensively.

The next day found the squires standing outside of the camp, yawing- they had been traveling the whole day before. Serie appeared in front of them, carrying a huge bag; it was dripping blood.

"Ah, Serie?" Neal asked.

"Yes, Neal?" Serie looked at him.

"You're… um… dripping blood…" He stammered. She snorted.

"I know. Let's go." She turned on her heel and disappeared in the low mist. Everybody trudged behind her. Half an hour later, they arrived at what appeared to be a town square, with stalls set up all around.

"There's Yani. Don't get into any trouble!" Serie ran off. Neal followed her, curious.

NEAL"S POV

This whole thing was amazing. I was able to talk to Iyani about advanced magic, stuff that even Father didn't know about. These Dragon Mages were truly powerful. I could see why King Jonathan wanted them on our side- especially with Scanra acting up. I walked up to Yani's stall.

"Hey, Neal!" She chirped. I nodded at her.

"Where are the other girls?" I wondered aloud.

"Well, Mei is trying to find some arrows, and Serie is leading Amaury around." Yani winked at me. "And I think someone has a crush. Otker won't stop trailing behind Ari like some kind of lost puppy," I grinned. Otker had talked to me about liking Ari just last night. I looked at Yani's goods. Lying in front of me was a clear vial labeled, in albeit messy handwriting, Antiseptic Aid. I looked back up, placing the bottle back on the table. Yani was turned around, chatting with someone else. I looked at her headscarf. I then realized something- the women of Yathib wore headscarves. Yani always had one on. And when we had first me, she had introduced herself as _Iyani of Bronze Yathib._ Was Yani from here? Maybe that would explain why she had the stall.

"Neal!" Yani called, interrupting my thoughts. "I'd like to introduce you to someone," I walked over to where she stood. I noticed a bit of black hair sticking out from behind her blue leggings.

"Neal, meet Rowen. Rowen, this is Neal. He's staying at the camp." A small, tan skinned boy of about four or five crept out from behind Yani. He was short, chubby, and had a round nose.

"Are you a knight?" Rowen blushed, and slapped a hand over his hand.

"No, I'm a squire. Three more years, and then I'll be a knight," I bent down to look at him.

"Oh. Your hair looks funny," He pointed at my brown hair. I turned bright red, and tried-in vain (A/N NinjaCat HairrySprayFan MagicFLight thanks to Mr. Endo I know that's an appositive )- to flatten it. Dratted hair that always stuck up! Yani laughed.

"As if your hair isn't a bird's nest, Rowen!" She ruffled his coal black hair. "Did you leave Mistress Liana again? And where's Genevieve?" She looked around.

"No. El-el wanted me to go get a Calming Draft for Genevieve." Rowen's smile disappeared. "Genevieve's acting up _again_, Yani. Can't I come back to the camp with you?" I looked at Yani in confusion. Why would Rowen come with Yani? Were they related? And who was Genevieve? She looked at me. It was clear that she would tell me in just a minute, but she had to deal with the kid first. Good- I like answers almost as much as I like asking for them.

"Listen, fine." Yani began. "I can't possibly impose on Liana anymore than I have. I don't care what she says. Especially now that Genevieve's sick…" She turned to me.

"Do you need me to watch the stand for a bit?" I heard myself ask Yani. She looked extremely relieved.

"Would you do that?" She gushed. I nodded, grinning.

"I know, I'm such a hero!" I smiled at her. Was I flirting with her? Whatever, I flirted with everyone. She hurried away. I walked to the other side of the stall. Half an hour later, Yani hurried up. She had a pack in one hand. She had a young two-year-old resting on her hip. The baby was presumably a girl, with light brown curls, big grey eyes, and tan skin. Was this Yani's child? Was Yani just a coarse commoner, breeding because she had to?

"Neal! Thank you so much!" She called out, hurrying up. Rowen trailed behind her. She walked up ot the back of the stand, and set the little girl on a shelf. She, the baby, not Yani, curled up into a tiny ball, and stuck her thumb into her mouth.

"Hey, Rowen!" A young street boy yelled. Rowen waved.

"Yani, can I go play?" He asked hopefully. Yani smiled.

"Sure. Be back in an hour at the latest!" She waved him off. I watched as he ran up to the boys. They ran off, tossing around a dark green ball.

"Who's the baby?" Curiosity got the best of me. Yani looked at me.

"I adopted her. She was a refugee. Both parents died, luckily," She sniffed. Touchy.

"Luckily?"

"Yeah. They beat poor Genevieve all the time," Wow.

"Wow. That's harsh."

"Yeah. And Rowen is my little brother. I have another brother, he's fourteen, goes to the Academy. His name's Adameni. We call him Adam." I relaxed. So she wasn't' a commoner- that meant that I could court her. What? I wanted to court her? Since when? Usually, if I had a crush, I got really nervous. That wasn't happening right now… So did it mean something different?

"Neal? Are you okay?" A voice startled me out of my thoughts. Mei was looking at me curiously.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I said awkwardly.

"Okay. Remember, we leave here in two hours to go train, so if you want anything, get it now," Mei reminded me helpfully. I nodded.

"Thanks." I turned to Yani. "I'm gonna go see if I can find a good staff blade. See ya!" She grinned at me and went back to helping a customer.

"Neal!" I heard Kel say. "Look at this pouch!" I walked over to her. It was a finely crafted money-purse, made out of a rather filmy bronze cloth.

"That's Kyriesh silk, top quality," A gravelly male voice informed the two of us. We looked up. There was a tall man, about six feet six. _I_ had to look up- that's saying a lot!

"Really? Where's Kyrie?" Kel asked politely.

"Not Kyrie, you idiot! Kyrion!" The man snapped, his face tensing up.

"Right. Sorry! I-I didn't know." Kel stammered hastily.

"So are ya gonna buy that or not!" The man's attitude changed rapidly. "If not, then SCRAM!" He yelled ferociously. "Beat it!"

**So that's the end of my YANI Market Place chapter. There will be a Serie, Mei, Ari, and Black Cougar chapter as well… and then will come ROMANCE TIMES TEN! HAHAHA!**


	7. Ch 7- Market Day (Mei)

**HEY every1! It's Miss KFC in da house! Read on to find out what happens to Mei as she leads Cleon, Merric, and Amaury around the market!**

"This place is so amazing!" Merric gushed, having warmed up considerably to Mei. "The wares look so… intricate!" Amaury pointed at a long Yamani-style sword with a pointed end and a curved blade.

"It's a _katana_," Mei informed the three excited boys. "Yani uses one. They're lethal weapons."

"How do I get one?" Cleon asked, eyes gleaming. Mei laughed at the thought of not very nimble Cleon wielding the katana on display.

"They're very hard to find, and even if you did, they're even harder to use," Mei began. "However, if all of you are interested in Blue Mountain weaponry, than I know just the place to go," She walked off at a brisk pace. Cleon, Merric, and Amaury all traded gleeful looks and hurried after her.

About five minutes later, Mei stopped in front of a permanent store; with the words "Silvermoon Weaponry" carved into the door, which Mei pushed open. A tall cheetah walking on two legs was serving a customer, who picked up his package and left.

"Boys, I'd like you to meet one of my non-Academy friends." Mei began. "This is Sahara Silvermoon, mercenary of the famed Sepuku, Zuli, and Nhi-shoi." Sahara bowed low.

"It's a pleasure to see you, Mei. Who are they?" The cheetah said. Cleon felt his eyes pop out of his skull.

"I'm Cleon of Kennan and this is Merric of Hollyrose and Seaver." (**A/N still don't know his fief! Trouble!)** Cleon said.

"Nice to meet you." Sahara smiled. "Now, how can I help you?" Mei stepped forward.

"They want to look at Blue Mountain weapons," Mei grinned at Sahara. It seemed to be and unspoken joke, as Sahara began to chuckle.

"Right this way, boys." Sahara gestured to a tall, red door with gold trim. "Mei, could you watch the store?" Mei nodded, and Sahara pushed open the door. Inside the back room was a whole other weapons room. Sahara gently guided the three boys to the very back, so that they were looking at a bunch of bows and strings.

"What's that?" Amaury asked, pointing at an arrow. The fletching was very intricate, but wasn't any type of bird feather that any of the squires could identify. It looked to be cotton, but it was stiff. There was a quiver full of identical arrows. Looking up, Sahara smiled.

"Those are mages' arrows from the planet of Onyx. Those particular ones belonged to a certain Nhi-shoi." Sahara informed them.

"Really?" Cleon asked in astonishment. "Neal would do anything to even touch those!"

"Who is this Neal person you speak of?" Sahara asked.

"It's one of our companions. HE's with Yani right now." Merric told her.

"Ah. Well, maybe some other day, he could come in here and try using an arrow." Sahara smiled at them.

After about two hours of touring the back room, Sahara told them that she needed to get back to the store.

"But, I will give you these Fire-Beads. They will create a smokeless fire in seconds," Sahara gave each boy a sachet full of little crimson beads. "All you need to do is crush it with a weapon." Merric, Cleon, and Amaury repeated their thanks over and over again.

"Thank you so much for these," Cleon stammered.

"It is no problem. I have thousands of those sachets, if it makes you feel any better." Sahara consoled.

"How?" Amaury looked at her in suspicion. "I thought that they were really rare!"

"Well, when I was adventuring with Nhi-shoi, Zuli, and Sepuku, Nhi-shoi attempted a Duplicate spell of a sachet of these." Sahara's eyes twinkled at her recollections. "And the spell went wrong, creating thousands of these. She gave me half of them right then and there, but for my birthday each year, as a joke, she gives me a hundred sachets of these, so I can sell them." She finished.

"Wow, that's so awesome!" Amaury said. "From Nhi-shoi herself!"

"Are you interested in the adventure party?" All three boys nodded vigorously.

"Well, look at this," Sahara pointed at a large battle axe. "That is Zuli's axe. She used it wherever she went…" All three boys rushed up to it, looking at it, touching it, petting it.

"This is amazing, Lady Sahara!" Cleon gasped. "Thank you so much!"

"NO problem. And lastly, these are the daggers that Sepuku traded for others of more potency. Don't touch." She pointed. The boys ran up to it, fogging the glass with their breath. Mei walked to the back, watching them with amusement obvious in her eyes. After three more minutes of gawking at relics, Mei told them that they had to get going if they wanted to get some lunch at all. Cleon shot out of the place quicker than Yani out of Dren's detention hall. (**A/N Remember Mr. Endo's spelling test? Detention! Detention! Detention!)** After a reinvigorating lunch, the three boys dragged Mei fropm stall to stall, pointing, gasping, and exclaiming over small, sentimental things. The whole time, Mei couldn't stop laughing.

**A/n so how did you like it, **_**Mei?**_** I hope you did, I worked really hard on it! For everyone else, Serie's chapter comes next. Unfortunately, she woun't be present to review, so u need to review twice as much! Luv you,**

**KFC**


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